Individual steering wheel



June 27, 1933. A. DUBONNET INDIVIDUAL STEERING WHEEL Filed Jan. '7, 1952Patented June 27,1* 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE vIman DUBoNNEr, orNEUILLY sun sEINE, FRANCE INDIVIDUAL STEERING WHEEL Application lliedJanuary 7, 1932, Serial No. 585,316, and in Belgium October 27. 1931.

My invention relates to im rovements in independent steering wheelsorlvehicles of all t pes, and more particularly for automob` es, inwhich each steering wheel is adapted to move vertically in respect ofthe chassis, and this without influencing the other wheel as is the casewhen the steering wheels are mounted upon a common shaft; and the mainobject of my improvement is to provide a device of this type which willbe better adapted for practical purposes than those heretofore known.

A referred form of my invention is illustrate in the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification although my invention may beembodied in various other forms all intended to be covered by the patentto be secured therefor; so long as such forms come within the scope ofthe claims herein and in which the distinguishing vfeatures of myinvention are particularly enumerated.

In the drawing the single figure is a view iu pers ective, partly insection, of an assembly of t e improved mechanism according to theinvention.

The axle ournal a of each wheel b is rigidly connecte to a suitablshaped lever arm c whichpitself is connecte to a housing d and arranged,when subjected to the action of 3 elastic means which have a tendency toprevent it from rotating, to describe a pivoting movement about an axissubstantially parallel to that of the axle journal; the whole, housin"d, lever arm c and aforesaid elastic means ing connected to the chassisby a cross member e, for pivoting movement about a preferablyl slightlinclined axis corresponding tothe p1voting axis of the wheel.

bly provide at the extremity of the lever arm c, opposite that of theaxle journal a, a shaft f which is supported in bearings provided inhousing d, and resiliently held against' rotary movement by suitablydisposed elastic means. These latter, -as described in my pendingapplications Ser. No. Y415,51),filed December 20, 1929, and Ser. No.

502,37 6, filed Deeemberl, 1930, `may consist 5o of vone or severalsprings g between In a preferred embodiment .of this assemhousing d andseveral levers or blades h mounted upon shaft f. Suitable shockabsorbing means are pro-- vided which may as desired, be independent of,or combined with, the said elastic means. To this effect the housin d islilled with a suitable liquid, such as oi and the springs g are mountedin telescopic pistons h1 which are provided with suitable diorifices toproduce a damming effect upon the passage of 6o the oil. ,v The pivotingconnection 'between housing d and cross bar e is preferably attainedy inmounting a pivot i ina cylindrical boring of an element l rigidlyconnected to, or form- 65 ing part of, cross bar e. One, or preferablyboth extremities of pivot i are encased within the housing d, or withina suitably shaped extension 7' thereof comprising two cylindricalelements 7'1 adapted to receive said extremities. Bearings i2 may beinterposed between said cylindrical elements jl and the pivot 'i asshown.

The vertical reactions resulting from the weight of the vehicle arecounteracted by a'ball bearing which is interposed between the lowerelement jl and the central element 1, said ball bearing being supportedupon suitably flanged portions provided at the respective extremities ofboth elements. e

The steering tiller is mounted within a universal joint upon thehousing; it is to be noted that the mounting of the tiller isconsiderably facilitated due to the fact that it always moves in onedirection only since the housing and consequently the joint of thetiller undergoes no vertical displacement in respect to the chassis ofthe vehicle.

When steering wheels are supported on oscillatable levers such as c, itis found that, in taking curves at high speed, oneof the levers movesthrough a greater' angle than the other, the lever on the inside of thecurve moving through a greater angle than the one on the outside. Ifshock absorbing means be not provided, a violent sidewise movement takesplace. It is only when blades la, react on a shock absorbing assembly,such as d and suspension springs g, that t e vehicle may' be made tomaintain an even keel. 1

l Furthermore, it is found that when the brakes are applied, a torque isexerted on levers c tending to rotate them so as to diminish theadherenceof the front wheels to i 5 the road and causing skidding tovtake place,

its opposite extremities with a wheel sup rting s indle and witheahorizontal sha roltatab y mounted in said support, suspension means andshock absorbing means mounted on said sup ort reacting on said lever,said shock absor ing means being independent ci said suspension means,and a steering wheel supported on said wheel spindle.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 in com? bination with a brakeassembly mounted on said wheel and said lever. i

3. In combinationwith a vehicle chassis, a suspending andshock-absorbing assembly for front wheels com rising a pivotal supportmounted on said c assis and operative to permit lateral oscillations ofa steering wheel, a wheel supporting lever provided at A its oppositeextremities with'a wheel supportin spindle and with a horizontal shaftrotata ly mounted in said support, suspension means and shock absorbingmeans mounted on said support reacting on said lever and resistin upwardmovement of the wheel, said shoc absorbing means being indepgndent ofsaid suspension means, and a staering wheel supported on said wheelspin- 4. In combination with a vehicle chassis, a ndin andshock-absorbing assembly for ront yv eels comprising a pivotal supportmounted on said chassis and operative to permit lateral oscillations ofa steering wheel, a wheell supporting lever provide with a wheelsupporting spindle and ivoted in said sup ort about an axis space fromthat of said) spindle, suspensionmeans cooperating with said lever forresiliently reacting upon the same in any of a plurality of positions ofsaid support about its pivotal wheel, a wheel sup orting lever providedat.

means between said casing and sai said spring means resisting movementofv axis, shock-absorbing means for resistin rising of said leverconcurrently with sai sulpension means and for dampening the recol ofsaid suspension means in any of a plurality of positions of said supportabout its pivotal axis, and a steering w eel mounted on said s indle.

5. In com ination with a vehicle chassis, a suspendin andshock-absorbing assembly for front w eels comprising a pivotal sup--port mounted on said chassis and operative.

tn permit lateral oscillations of a steerin wheel, va wheel supportinglever rovide with a Wheel supporting spindle and)pivoted in said supportabout an axis spaced from that of sai spindle, suspension andshockabsorbing means cooperating with said lever and said pivotal suport for resiliently opposing rising of said ever and also opposingrising thereof by a dam ening action in any of a plurality of positionsof said sup ort about its pivotal axis, and a steering w eel mounted onsaid spindle.

6. Incombination with a vehicle chassis, a suspending andshock-absorbing assembly for front Wheels comprising a pivotal supportmounted on said chassis and operative to permit lateral oscillation of asteerin wheeh a wheel supporting lever provide with a wheel supportingspindle and ivoted in said support about an axis space p from that ofsai spindle, suspension andsli'ock absorbing means cooperating with saidlever and said pivotal su port for resilientl opposing movement o saidlever in one irection and simultaneously opposing movement of said leverin said direction by a dam n-v ing action in any of a plurality ofpositions of said support about its pivotal axis, and a steering wheelmounted onsaid s indle.

7. In combination with a vehicle c assis, a suspending andshock-absorbing assembly for vfront wheels comprising a pivotal casingmounted ron said chassis and operative to a wheel supporting leverprovided with a wheel sucpporting s indle, a shaft rotatable with sailever andp mounted in said casin about an axis spaced from that of saispindle, s ring means cooperating withsaid s kaft an providing resilientsus ension lever,

said lever in one direction with respect to said support, and. fluiddampening means in said casing providing further resistance to movemento said lever in said direction.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

- ANDR DUBONNET.

permit lateral oscillation of a Asteering wheel, 1.10

